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Why Do Gambian Journalists Destroy Themselves?
Sunday, 28 August 2011 04:22
(Opinion) - The on-going trial of two journalists on similar charges, false information, has not only revealed the continuing
difficult plight of journalists in the Gambia but also exposed the danger that certain characters in the country pose to the freedom and safety of journalists. And sadly these characters are themselves journalists, who, instead of being protectors of their colleagues, have in fact become conspirators against them. To illustrate my point and before going ahead let me quote an interesting statement I once heard from a senior NIA official who happened to be very good friend of mine.It was one Friday afternoon a few months ago and just after the recent Gambia Press Union congress and elections, that I saw a journalist being questioned at the NIA when I went to pick up my friend.
After seeing the terrible state of the journalist concerned, and his humiliation at the NIA, I asked my NIA friend why they are still harassing journalists and to my utter surprise he replied: ''Boy these people are their own enemies: They are the most treacherous lot I have ever seen. They are in the habit of lying and reporting about their own colleagues just to earn favours and status from the system to the detriment of their own fellow journalists. This case just one of those. Their own infighting,'' said my NIA friend.
I had no prove to deny or believe my friend's story (Never trust a policeman entirely) but the evidences being heard in the on-going false information trials only go to confirm that much of the troubles journalists are and have been facing are betrayals and conspiracies plotted by their own colleagues, manipulated by the state and dictated by greed and jealousy. Imagined, according to Dodou Sanneh, he was led into an NIA detention trap by no one else but his own Director General Momodou Sanyang, who, Dodou alleged, prearranged his arrest with the NIA before showering praises on him and sending him to Banjul supposedly to collect a letter for him, only to be arrested. In other words entertaining the condemned before executing him. Idi Amin style. Only a person who has lost the last shred of human dignity would do this to a person he called my junior and whom he has just hypocrictally praised.
This is act of abuse of authority. It shows beyond any doubt that whatever genuine concern for editorial fairness Sanyang and his senior management might have, their conduct in twisting, turning and subsequently handing over Dodou to the NIA underlined the treacherous nature of the senior management at the GRTS.Let us visit the other trial, the one involving Nanama Keita. Evidence adduced from no other than news editor Assan Sallah, claimed that when he was confronted by the Observer management in the office of the manager, over allegations that he wrote the Freedom articles, he Keita was alleged to have said ""Oh Sheriff Bojang, Oh freedom''.
Assuming Keita indeed said those words at all, he was supposed to have said them at the office of the observer not at the NIA and there was no NIA personnel present. How then was Sheriff Bojang invited to the NIA over this matter? Who told the NIA that Bojang was mentioned by Keita?. Observer journalists of course. Undoubtedly someone saw an opportunity to drag along Bojang into the mess, another case of jealousy, or pure hatred for Bojang. This is the sad state of life among journalists in the past and even in the present.
It also goes to lend credence to the allegation that some journalists work hand in hand with the NIA.
Remember the allegations made by several former observer staff accusing Sanyang, Saja Taal and others of handing the missing Chief Manneh to the NIA, a move which turned out to be the end of that gentle man.
Indeed again according to credible accounts from my encounters with NIA officers, prior to all these, journalists from both the electronic and the print media have been recruited to check on their colleagues. As a result, many good journalists have been innocently arrested, detained tortured and frightened to exile or silenced mainly through false information given to the authorities by their own colleagues.
The worst cases of these sad trend, according to my NIA friend, are common at the Observer and GRTS, and it is no coincidence that both institutions have one influential personality making all the final decisions both institutions have witnessed high profile dismissals and in some cases, especially at the observer, torture and allegations of possible death of journalists.
The above scenario needs to be checked immediately, and it has to take journalists themselves to realise that they share the same aspiration face similar threats and persecution from the state. They must not allow themselves to be fooled and used by the system to destroy one another otherwise who would come to their aid, if all their troubles are self inflicted?. Journalists must realised that the Gambia government has no respect, appreciation or any care for any journalist, especially after Jammeh is on record as calling them illegitimate sons of Africa. The only thing Jammeh needs from journalists is to sing his praises and that and only that. When shall you stop giving ammunition to the devil to destroy your own lot?
Written by A JollofNews Reader
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Comments
ANSWER: BECAUSE THEIR SOUL IS EMBEDDED IN A HYPOCRITE GAMBIAN TRADITION OF BETRAYAL...
When a state allows itself to be used by individuals,no matter their position,to settle personal scores with their opponents/perceived enemies,in the name of National Security,a situation like we have is inevitable.This has happened to various communities througout history.In modern times,the NAZI's are the best example.
Journalists who betray their colleagues & pass infos to the NIA are wrong to do so,but the system that allows an individual to be arrested & humiliated for nothing,is to blame.
NIA should only be an intelligence agency. Powers of arrest should reside in a well trained Police Force alone to stop/minimise abuse.
But before someone uses this as another example of the nature of Gambians/Africans/Black People,as a whole,lets put it into perspective.
(1) Journalists have functioned in The Gambia for as long as I remember,atleas t, since Independence. Unless I'm mistaken,I have not known of any exiled,missing or murdered journalist during the PPP days.( I may be wrong). The rampant arrests & detentions of journalists was unheard of. Even the late Sanna Ticks Manneh,was arrested,charge d and taken to court when he ruffled the feathers of some senior PPP officials,inclu ding the former VP,Saihou Sabally. Differences,jea lousy or infighting (if it ever existed) was probably dealt with at their own level,without involving the state.
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